Connection for loom electrical weft detectors



Dec. 1, 1931.

R, G. TURNER CONNECTION FOR LOOM ELECTRICAL WEF'I' DETECTORS Filed April 6, 1951 Jnveqtor R h d C-nTurner 1 Patented Dec. 1, 1931 j 1* UNITE STATES l A -E OFFICE RICHARD G. TURNER, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TC CROMPT ON 80 I KNOWLES 'LOOM WOR KS, 01E WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, CQRCPORATIOH OF A MASSACHUSETTS CCNNECTION FOR LOOM ELECTRICAL WEFT DETECTCRS Application filed April 6', 193 1. Serial-No. 528,047.

This invention relates to multicolor weft replenishing looms more particularly though not necessarily of the shuttle changing type and it is an important object of the invention to provide improved means for conveying electric currents from an electrical weft detector on the drop box end of the loom to the replenishing mechanism at the opposite sideof the loom.-;

- In multicolor shuttle changing looms-itis desirable undercertain conditions to place the detecting mechanism on the drop box end of the loom so that the changing apparatus at the opposite end'may-operate without in terference with the detecting mechanism.

-When an electrical detector is employed it is necessary to provide some conductor lead-. ing from the shuttle. or shuttle boxes tothe control mechanism at the opposite side of the loom. The shuttle boxes rise and fall as the lay swings back and forth and these conditionstogether with the fact'that the picker stick has a path of travel whichlies close to the boxes makesit desirabletopro vide a housing for theelectric wires which will be out of the path of the picker stick. It is accordingly an important object of my present invention to replace the usual solid box lifter rod with a. tube sufficiently strong to lift the boxes and at the same time protect the wires as they are led from the detecting mechanism to a part of the loom that is out of the path of the pickerstick.

The use of my present invention is not limited to any particular form of electrical weft detector or shuttle. 3 I With these andother objects in view which will appearas the description proceeds, my invention resides in .the'combination and arrangement of parts-hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. t In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment ofmy invention is setforth, I .Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a loomhaving my. invention applied thereto, Fig.2 is an end elevation taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,. x

Fig- 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1, r

F 4 is ahorizontal section on line of Fig. 1. p I

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a loomside 10 and a lay 11 which is mounted on -a lay sword 12. Inner, and outer box guides 18 and 14, respectively, receive corresponding guide portions ortongues 15 on a set of shifting. shuttle boxes 16. The boxes rise and fallso that one or another of thenrv is always opposite the race at the time of picking. A box lifting lever 18 maybe actuated in any approved manner to act on-a link 19 in order to raise or lower a liftingelement 20. r

A rocker shaft 21 for theilay sword has mounted thereon a rocker iron 22 to which is pivoted a picker stick 23. An upstand 'ing horn 2ais of the usual construction. As shown in Fig.2 the picker stick lies behind theboxes lo and is the means by which the shuttles S and S fmay bedriven across theloom. p

i As set forth herein I have shown abracket 25 secured to the box structure '16 and mounted on said bracket is an electric detector carplate l7 of the lay rying plate 28- The latter may be formed of insulating material. The bracket and plate afford supportfor two pairs of contact arms,

eachpair comprising a right hand member 27 and a left hand member 28; -Each of the shorter right hand members may be pivoted to a bolt 29'having electric contact through the bracket 25 to the'box structure 16. The upper member 28 may be connected to-a wire 30 while the lower arm28 may be connected to anotherwire 31'. These wires may be supplied bya'duplex cable 32 extending to the oppositeside of the m. H v l 1 1 It is de'emedsuflici-ent for the purposesofthe present inventionto state that when weft.

replenishingis called for in either box the corresponding pair of contacts; will be electrically connected so that for instance the top right hand arm 27 and the corresponding member 28 will have current flowing through them becauseof'a circuit which has been estab-lishedin the associated'shuttle as a result of weft depletion. Current will therefore flow through wire 30 to the opposite side of the loom to actuate mechanism not set forth ioo herein and forming no part of the present invention. The circuit is completed because of the fact that the member 27 is electrically grounded to the loom structure, by means of the bracket 25 and the gang of boxes 16.

The matter thusfar described of'itself forms no part of my present invention and may be varied to suit changing conditions.

In carrying my invention into effect I modify the driving connection between the gang of boxes 16 and the box motion controlled elemeiit 20. Ordinarily this connection coinprises a solid rod, but as set forth herein I provide a tube 10 which is connected at its lower end to the element 20 and at its upper end to the box structure 16 as set forth in Fig. 1. The mode of connecting the tube may be the same as that used in connection with the solid rod and I lind in practice that the tube may be substantially the same diameter as the ordinary rod and still perform its functions with respect to the gang'of boxes 16 if the wallof the tube be sutiiciently thick. As shown in Fig. 1 I provide the upper end of the tube with an opening 41 into which is led the duplex cable 32. The latter emerges from the bottom l2 of the tube at a point closely adjacent the axis of the rocker shaft 21 so that the back and-forth movement of the lay produces practically no corresponding movement on the part of the conductor 32. Any form of clip 43 may be employed to secure the duplex conductor to the loom frame adjacent the box end of the loom. In order to provide a more effective ground I may use a wire 41 1 which is interposed electrically between the element 20 and the loom frame 10 as set forth in Fig. 1. This conductor will be suficiently flexible to rise and fall with V the box lifter tube 40 and maintain the electrical connectionbetween these parts at all times. From the matter previously described it will be understood that the wire 44 will always bein contact with the detector members or arms 27.

In operation the box lever 18 will rise and fall according to the demands of the pattern and through the connections described will lift the gang of boxes 16 or lower them as the case may be by a force which is transmitted through the tube 40. At certain times in the cycle of the loom operation the picker stick 23 will move from the full to the'dotted line position shown in Fi 1, moving through a relatively large zone of action which might include the duplex conductor or the wires 30 and 31 if they were not specifically provided for. When a shuttle is depleted one or another of two circuits will be closed as at ready described and replenishment will result as the exhausted shuttle reaches the opposite side of the loom. In the rising and falling of the boxes the part of the wires which extend downwardly in a direction generally parallel to the plane of movement of the picker stick will lie in the hollow box rod and therefore will. be protected from accidental engagement with the picker stick.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple means for actuating the drop boxes of a loom and at the same time providing a suitable housing for the wire connections of an electrical weft detector which moves up and down and also back and forth as the loom operates. I It will be seen that this result is attained specifically bythe use of a hollow box lifter rod which may have an opening in the upper end thereof to receive the wires and may have an open lower end from which the wires emerge. It will also be seen that the weft detectoig-the wires, and the box lifter rod'all move substantially the same both as to back and forth and also vertical movements so that the connections between the detector members and the lifter rod maybe made as rigid as desired. Furthermore, there is very little if any relative movement between the lower end of the lifter tube and the wires, the rising and falling of the left hand end of the wires as shown in Fig. .1 being accommodated by a sufficient length of wire bet-ween the lifter tube and the point of support of saidwires.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein-disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. Ina loom, shifting shuttle boxes,'an elec tric weft detector mounted on the'shifting shuttle boxes, a box actuating element, a hollow driving connector between the element and the boxes, and electric connections extending from the detector through said connector.

2. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, an electric weft detector mounted on the shifting shuttle boxes, a box actuating. element, a hollow liftertube operatively connecting the element and boxes, and electric wiring extending from the detector and through the tube.

3. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, an electric Weft detector mounted on the shifting shuttle boxes, a box actuating element, a hollow box lifter rod 'operatively connected at its lower endto the element and at its upper end to the shifting boxes, and an electric wire extending from the detector into and through a portion of said hollow lifter rod. I r

- 4;. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, an electric weft detector mounted on the shifting shuttle boxes, a box actuating element, a hollowmember connected to the latter and mov ing vertically with the boxes and extending downwardly. and an electric wire connected to the detector and extending into and through a portion of the hollow member.

5. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, an electric weft detector mounted on the shifting shuttle boxes, a hollow member rigid with the shifting boxes, and an electric wire extending from the detector into and through the hollow member. i

6. In a loom, a lay movable about an axis,

shifting shuttle boxes on the lay, an electrical,

weft detector movable with the boxes, a hollow member moving with the boxes and terminating at a point adjacent the axis of the lay, and an electric wire connected to the detector and extending through the hollow member and emerging from the lower'end thereof.

7. In a loom, a lay movable about an axis, shifting shuttle boxes on the lay, an electrical weft detector movable with the boxes, a hol low member rigid with and moving with the boxes, and an electric detector wire entering the member at a point adjacent the boxes and emerging from said member at a point adjacent the axis of the lay.

8. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, an elec- .-trical weft detector mechanism for the boxes, -a hollow element connected to and moving with the boxes as the latter shift, and an electrical connection extending from the detector into the member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature. RICHARD GREENLEAF TURNER. 

